A total of 2,000 beneficiaries in Isabel, Leyte gained access to affordable rice through the government’s “Benteng Bigas Meron Na” program, rolled out on April 23, 2026, as part of ongoing efforts to cushion low-income and economically disadvantaged households from escalating food prices.
Led by the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 8 (DA-8), in partnership with the Local Government Unit of Isabel, the initiative enabled qualified residents to purchase rice at ₱20 per kilogram, offering immediate relief to low-income families and other vulnerable sectors.
Agriculture officials underscored that the program forms part of the government’s broader food security agenda, aimed at improving access to staple commodities and uplifting rice farmers while helping mitigate the impact of price volatility in the market.
FTI Assistant Project Manager Ron Timothy Borja emphasized that the initiative represents more than just rice distribution.
“𝘏𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪 𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘬𝘰𝘭 𝘴𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘴, 𝘪𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘬𝘰𝘭 𝘴𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘥, 𝘴𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘥 𝘴𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘬𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘨-𝘢𝘴𝘢 𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘰 𝘴𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘢𝘥 𝘯𝘢 𝘗𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴,” he said.
[This is not only about rice; it is about dignity, food security, and hope for a more progressive Philippines.]
Meanwhile, DA-8 Regional Executive Director Rodel Macapañas highlighted how the program directly benefits ordinary households amid rising market prices.
“𝘕𝘢𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 20 𝘱𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘴. 𝘒𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘬𝘢𝘥𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘵 𝘯𝘢 𝘶𝘨 60–70 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘰 𝘴𝘢 𝘣𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘴. 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘵 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 20 𝘱𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘴 𝘬𝘢 𝘣𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘬𝘰 𝘨𝘺𝘶𝘥 𝘶𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘯 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘨𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘯,” he stated.
[Your ₱20 can indeed make a difference. Today in the market, rice already reaches ₱60 to ₱70 per kilo. That is why this ₱20 rice is truly a big help to our less fortunate brothers and sisters.]
Beneficiaries also welcomed the intervention, describing the initiative as a timely form of support that helps stretch limited household resources.
Diosdada C. Tajos, a senior citizen beneficiary, expressed gratitude for the program, noting how difficult it has become for many families to afford rice.
“𝘕𝘢𝘨𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢 𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘭 𝘬𝘢𝘺𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵 𝘶𝘨 𝘣𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘴. 𝘋𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘺 60 𝘰 53. 53 𝘯𝘢 𝘨𝘺𝘶𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰. 𝘋𝘪𝘭𝘪 𝘯𝘢 𝘨𝘶𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘬𝘢𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘢. 𝘒𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘯 𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘩𝘢 𝘬𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘯𝘩𝘪 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵 𝘶𝘨 20 𝘱𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘴 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘣𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘴. 𝘜𝘯𝘺𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘰 𝘴𝘢 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘯𝘪 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢. 𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘱𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘯 𝘯𝘪 𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘣𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘰 𝘯𝘢 𝘨𝘺𝘶𝘥 𝘯𝘢 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘩𝘢 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘢 𝘨𝘺𝘶𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰. 𝘛𝘢𝘨𝘴𝘢 𝘳𝘢 𝘮𝘪 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘰𝘯 𝘶𝘨 𝘣𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘴. 𝘒𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘢𝘩𝘰𝘺, 𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘶𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘺 𝘭𝘢 𝘮𝘪 𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘮𝘦. 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘺𝘶𝘥 𝘬𝘰,” she expressed.
[I am thankful for this program because the rice we usually buy is very expensive. Sometimes it costs ₱60 or ₱53 per kilo, and ₱53 is already the cheapest. Even that is already difficult for us to afford. That is why I made an effort to come here so I could buy rice at ₱20 per kilo. I also thank the President for this program. I hope it continues because we poor families have long wished for rice that is permanently affordable. There are times when we rarely get to eat rice. Most of the time we rely on cassava, bananas, and other root crops. That is why I am truly grateful.]
The successful rollout in Isabel reflects the continued commitment of the Department of Agriculture to ensure that no Filipino family is left behind in accessing affordable and sufficient food, while strengthening collaboration between national agencies and local governments in delivering responsive programs to the grassroots.